News & Updates

Fundraising for the Research that Saved his Life

When diagnosed with IgA nephropathy, a form of kidney disease, Lawrence Staveley fought against the disease until his kidneys began to fail and dialysis was inevitable. Battling the disease for years, in 2015 Lawrence received the life-changing news he would be having a kidney transplant. Since that moment he’s been passionate about giving back to the people who made the life-changing transplant possible.

Just recently Lawrence auctioned off a limited edition video game on eBay and raised an incredible $900 for transplantation research through Kidney, Transplant and Diabetes Research Australia (KTDRA). He did so with the support of Peliades who ran the auction in the UK and the blessings of Mike Montgomery of the Bitmap Brothers, the game’s original creators.

“After being diagnosed with IgA I struggled on until my kidneys failed. After that I went onto peritoneal dialysis for a while, before progressing to home hemodialysis. I then finally got a transplant in 2015 and that’s made a huge difference in my life,” Lawrence said.

IgA Nephrompathy, is a kidney disease that occurs when IgA (a protein produced by the immune system to protect the body from foreign bodies like bacteria or virus) builds up in the kidneys. This leads to inflammation and damage of the kidney tissue, and in most cases, like Lawrence, results in kidney failure and the inevitable need for dialysis or transplant.

“After having my transplant I felt like I had to do something to give back.

“I’m very happy to support the work of KTDRA researchers, without it and others like it around the globe, both now and in the past, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”

Lawrence’s donation will directly support the KTDRA research team in their efforts to see an end to kidney disease and diabetes.

As you can see community fundraising comes in all shapes and forms – it’s entirely up to you how you want to raise funds for research! If you would like to give back by hosting a fundraiser and want more information, visit our website or give us a call on (08) 7002 0840.